MMA News

Category: MMA

  • Renato Moicano Rejects Dana White’s AI Rankings, Proposes ‘More Logical’ System

    Renato Moicano Rejects Dana White’s AI Rankings, Proposes ‘More Logical’ System

    UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano has given his take on how the promotion’s official rankings should be revamped.

    The topic of the UFC rankings has risen to the surface in recent times thanks to CEO Dana White’s frustration. The promotion’s boss most recently took issue with the failure to boost Khalil Rountree up the light heavyweight pecking order following his defeat to Alex Pereira.

    White has consistently slammed the media for the top 15s, though the rankings panel is largely made up of defunct and unknown outlets. Many have pushed for changes to the panel and the addition of more recognized reporters, but White has a different idea altogether.

    The last few weeks and months have seen him raise plans to utilize AI to form the UFC rankings. During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, however, Moicano dismissed that as a “logical” idea.

    Instead, the Brazilian — who raised his own annoyance with the rankings after staying put outside the top 10 following his dominant win over Benoît Saint Denis — wants to see an organized “points-based” format introduced.

    “I saw Dana White talking about the AI. But the whole thing is, the AI, somebody’s programming the AI too. The way they program the AI is the way they are going to do the matchups,” Moicano said. “I think it would be best if we do like, a way that is points, you know?

    “So if you knock the guy out, or if you submit him, or if it is a decision against a ranked guy — point-based system, you know what I mean?” Moicano continued. “I think that would be better, that would be more logical.”

    It remains to be seen what renovation is coming to the UFC’s ranking system, but White claimed to be having a meeting regarding the issue this week following the final episode of this year’s DWCS season.

    Moicano, for one, will most likely welcome any change that boosts him further toward the gold at 155 pounds.

  • Dustin Poirier Backtracks On ‘Last Fight’ Plan: ‘Could Be Dos Mas…’ 

    Retirement appears to be moving further and further away in the career of former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier.

    Poirier initially looked set to bring his memorable stint as an active fighter to an end following a fourth-round submission loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 this past June — a result that marked his third failed bid to achieve undisputed champion status.

    But as the weeks went on post-fight, “The Diamond” began to hint at one final foray into the cage, eventually confirming that as the plan in social media posts and during interviews a couple of months on from the Newark loss.

    During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, however, Poirier revised his plans — in a positive way for fans of the Louisianan star.

    Poirier confirmed that the gloves will not be getting hung up yet, and he even went a step further than before by revealing potential plans for two more competitive appearances inside the UFC Octagon.

    “I will fight again,” Poirier said. “It’s just how this thing unfolds — we’ll see when I do retire. It could be uno mas (one more), it could be dos mas (two more). I had a good meeting at the UFC headquarters. I was out there with Celsius at a trade show and I had a good meeting.

    “There are some things verbally that we’ve spoke about that are looking promising, but I can’t share yet. We’re close,” Poirier continued. “First quarter of next year. It’s looking (like two more fights). I haven’t signed anything, we’re just weighing out options and talking about timeframes. I love the chaos, so if a crazy fight is presented, I gotta do it.”

    The key to how everything could unfold? Rumored plans for a UFC event in his home state of Louisiana, and the timeline for that coming to fruition.

    “My goal is to get an event here in Louisiana. Whether that’s Lafayette, New Orleans — I want to lay the gloves down where I started fighting,” Poirier stated. “That is my goal. Just (depends on) opponent availability and when makes sense. … I’m about 95 percent sure that we get this done. It’s just, for me, on my part, do I fight before that? Because the longer I’m away from the sport, I just feel removed and I’m not with everything, not training every single day.

    “I might train three times a week, I’m always staying in shape. But just technique and fundamentals and things, you have to be on the mats every day,” Poirier added. “I don’t want to wait until summer or end of next year before they can come back to Louisiana. So, maybe I need a fight before then just to stay in the mix, stay fresh, so I can retire how I want to be — on top.”

    Poirier’s latest comments come just days after he teased fight news on social media this past weekend.

    Having appeared on the brink of calling it quits just four months ago, 2025 now looks set to be a big year for “The Diamond,” as he prepares for a possible outing in the first quarter before a potential homecoming fight for his farewell toward the back end of the year.

  • Ilia Topuria Tells Fighters Picking Max Holloway To Stop In-Person Niceties: ‘F*ck Them All!’

    UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria believes predictions for his upcoming title defense have helped him identify plenty of “snakes in the grass.”

    Eight months on from his memorable crowning in Anaheim at the expense of Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria will put his newly won gold on the line against another legend of the division.

    Headlining next weekend’s UFC 308 pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi, “El Matador” will share the cage with former featherweight kingpin and current holder of the symbolic BMF title, Max Holloway.

    The bout is among the most highly anticipated of the year thus far, and the recent success of both men have left a variety of predictions flying around the MMA community.

    Topuria, however, has frequently insisted that “Blessed” will be light work for him come fight night. And with that in mind, he’s bemused by the number of UFC peers picking against him for the Oct. 26 event.

    And during an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Topuria took a moment to address those doubting the continuation of his reign.

    While he didn’t name names, the Georgian-Spanish champ suggested a number of those predicting a return to the throne for Holloway have previously interacted with him in-person.

    Having seen their picks, though, Topuria has no plans to repeat that post-UFC 308…

    “I’ve watched the predictions of all the UFC fighters. They are predicting that he is going to beat me,” Topuria said. “All the bums, f*ck you everyone. After I knock him out, don’t even tell me, ‘Hello,’ if you see me around. F*ck yourself everyone.

    “Many, many fighters (are picking against me). I don’t even want to tell you the names because I don’t want to give importance about them. F*ck them all,” Topuria continued. “I’m taking notes. They are all like snakes in the grass. They see you around and then they are acting like fans. But when they have to do something, ‘No, Max is going to beat him.’ Maybe they feel a little bit of envy.”

    Topuria continues to speak confidently when it comes to his first title defense, promising that Holloway won’t see a second round in Abu Dhabi later this month.

    Pressure will certainly be on him to deliver. But should “El Matador” do so, his journey toward top spot in 145-pound history would certainly be off to a strong start, and perhaps a desired lightweight move to challenge Islam Makhachev could await.

  • Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8, Week 10 Highlights As 4 Prospects Secure Contracts

    Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8, Week 10 Highlights As 4 Prospects Secure Contracts

    The latest season of Dana White’s Contender Series continued with some memorable highlights on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

    DWCS, the inaugural season of which took place back in 2017, sees some of the top prospects in mixed martial arts enter the cage in front of White and the matchmakers, looking to put in a performance worthy of a place on the UFC roster.

    Last year’s edition saw 46 fighters bag a deal with the sport’s premier promotion across 10 events, up on the 43 from 2022. Through nine episodes of season eight, 38 prospects moved a step closer to their title dreams on MMA’s biggest stage.

    And the tenth and final added another four talents to the UFC roster. That included American Nick Klein, who delivered the highlight of the night by submitting Heraldo Souza just 37 seconds into the final fight of the night.

    There was just one other finish on the card, with Oceanian fighter Jonathan Micallef rendering Mohamed Ado unconscious by way of a rear-naked choke. Meanwhile, Luis Gurule and Yadier del Valle did enough in their decision victories to impress the boss.

    The only winner not to earn a contract on the night was 20-year-old Julieta Martinez, who will seemingly be given more time to develop away from the Octagon following her decision triumph over Leslie Hernandez.

    With that in mind, see below for the results and moments that landed four athletes contracts with the UFC.

    Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8, Week 10 Results

    Jonathan Micallef Def. Mohamed Ado Via Technical Submission (Triangle Choke): R1, 3:01

    Julieta Martinez Def. Leslie Hernandez Via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

    Yadier del Valle Def. Antonio Monteiro Via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

    Luis Gurule Def. Nick Piccininni Via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

    Nick Klein Def. Heraldo Souza Via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke): R1, 0:37

  • Mike Perry Arrested For DUI & Citation Refusal In Florida

    Mike Perry Arrested For DUI & Citation Refusal In Florida

    Mike Perry got himself into trouble when he was arrested in Clermont, Florida, on October 12 for multiple offenses.

    According to a recent report by MMA Fighting, information from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that “Platinum” was apprehended and processed by Clermont Police officers early Saturday morning at 1:04 AM EST. He is currently facing charges of driving under the influence (DUI) and refusing to sign a citation that mandates a court appearance, both classified as second-degree misdemeanors in the county. 

    As per the report, Perry declined to undergo a roadside sobriety test after being stopped for exceeding the speed limit by about 20 miles per hour. The officer reportedly detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle, but the BKFC star repeatedly denied any consumption.

    The 33-year-old Michigan native stood firm in his decision despite being warned multiple times that his refusal to comply would result in his arrest, which eventually led to him being handcuffed and taken to the Clermont Police Department for a breath test.

    However, “Platinum” was subsequently released on a $1,500 bond later that day and was assigned to appear before the Florida court on October 30. If proven guilty, Perry could potentially face a maximum of two months in jail and fines reaching up to $500.

    The former UFC welterweight fighter is rebounding from a sixth-round knockout defeat to Jake Paul this past July. Aside from that setback, Perry is thriving in his bare-knuckle fighting career under the BKFC banner. He is currently riding a five-fight unbeaten streak and boasts victories over notable former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold.

    • Read More: Jake Paul Reveals Verbal Agreement With Mike Perry To Rematch In PFL, Dirty Boxing Down The Line
  • Daniel Cormier Reveals His Biggest Concern For Nick Diaz’s UFC Return Fight

    Daniel Cormier Reveals His Biggest Concern For Nick Diaz’s UFC Return Fight

    UFC analyst Daniel Cormier has voiced concerns over fan-favorite Nick Diaz’s upcoming return to the Octagon. Diaz is set to face Vicente Luque at UFC 310 on December 7, 2024, marking his first fight in over three years.

    Diaz’s last bout was in September 2021 at UFC 266, where he suffered a TKO loss to Robbie Lawler. Before that, he had a rough stretch, going 0-2-1, with decision losses to Carlos Condit at UFC 143 in 2012 and Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158 in 2013. His 2015 bout with Anderson Silva at UFC 183 was overturned to a no contest due to Silva’s failed drug test. Now, at 41 years old, Diaz is preparing to make his comeback, and Cormier has raised some concerns about his mental and physical readiness.

    Speaking on an episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy, Cormier expressed his worries about Diaz’s mindset heading into this fight, hoping the veteran is truly prepared and won’t embarrass himself in the process.

    “The thing about Nick Diaz, for me, I want the guy from the pictures. Imma’ just say it,” Cormier explained. “I don’t want to see Nick Diaz who is just ripped. When he fought Robbie Lawler, I was so excited. I thought, ‘Man, he’s been back on the triathlons, and he looks even better than he did in his prime.’ But when he got to the Octagon, he looked nothing like that person. He looked like a guy pushing 40, who hadn’t fought in years, and I didn’t know if he still had that fight in him.”

    Cormier continued by analyzing Luque, noting that although some believe he may be on the decline, Luque is still a formidable opponent. “Vicente Luque is thought to be on the decline. I kind of judged him based on how badly Joaquin Buckley beat him. But now, watching Buckley beat an 18-1 kid in St. Louis and dominate Stephen Thompson… I wonder if I was too quick to judge Luque.”

    He also reflected on Diaz’s struggle against Lawler, who was nearing retirement at the time. “Nick Diaz struggled with Robbie Lawler, and Robbie was just one fight away from retiring. Vicente Luque isn’t going anywhere; it’s a tough fight. Nick has to be really locked in if he wants to go out there and not embarrass himself.”

    With Diaz stepping back into the cage at 41, Cormier’s concerns highlight the uncertainties surrounding his readiness to face a tough opponent like Luque.

  • Dana White Outraged Over UFC Rankings Panel, Plans System Overhaul

    Dana White Outraged Over UFC Rankings Panel, Plans System Overhaul

    Dana White once again unleashed his fury at the UFC rankings panel in the aftermath of UFC 307.

    The UFC rankings system has faced intense criticism repeatedly over the past few months, and it appears that the latest outburst from the UFC CEO followed the weekly update released in the days after UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira’s successful title defense against Khalil Rountree Jr.

    While “The War Horse” was unable to dethrone the Brazilian titleholder, he certainly made an impression with his performance in the early rounds, pushing “Poatan” to his limits. However, Rountree Jr. was unable to make any progress in the updated 205-pound rankings and remained at #8.

    Infuriated by the recent developments, White took to his Instagram Stories to lash out at the members of the UFC rankings panel. He assured his followers that he would hold a meeting this week to address the issues and revamp the system.

    “The morons strike again,” White said. “Khalil Rountree fights that badass fight against Pereira, and the morons rank him #8, keeping him at #8. Literally, this week, I have a meeting to try to fix the rankings and get all these no-nothing motherf**kers out of it. So hopefully, this week I get this fixed.”

    White’s frustrations with the rankings panel are nothing new; he has voiced his dissatisfaction over reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones not being ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter in recent months.

    Just last month, in an interview with Kevin Iole, he discussed the controversy surrounding Renato Moicano, who believed he deserved a higher ranking in the lightweight division after his dominant victory over Benoît Saint Denis at UFC Fight Night Paris.

    The UFC head honcho revealed that he is contemplating the integration of artificial intelligence into the UFC’s ranking system to replace the current panel, composed of media representatives from various MMA publications.

    • Read More: UFC Rankings Report: Paddy Pimblett Ties With Former Lightweight Champion
  • Sean O’Malley Wants José Aldo: ‘That Would Be F*cking Crazy’

    Sean O’Malley Wants José Aldo: ‘That Would Be F*cking Crazy’

    Sean O’Malley, former UFC bantamweight champion, has set his sights on a potential showdown with MMA legend José Aldo. O’Malley is coming off a decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 after a three-fight win streak, which included capturing and defending the bantamweight title. Now, he’s eager to return to the Octagon for another high-profile fight.

    On the other hand, Aldo recently lost via a unanimous decision against Mario Bautista at UFC 307. Despite this, his reputation as a former featherweight champion and all-time great keeps him in the mix for exciting matchups.

    While discussing his future in an interview with Ariel Helwani, O’Malley expressed his enthusiasm for a potential fight with Aldo, calling it a “crazy” possibility as he aims to secure the biggest and most entertaining fights possible.

    “100%, that would be f*cking crazy. Jose Aldo is a legend,” O’Malley told Helwani. “Yeah, that’s definitely a possibility. I like having options, and I don’t know if the Merab fight is going to happen, but I’m pushing for it. Just putting that out into the universe, hoping it happens. But, you know, I’m here for big fights, and I want people to be entertained. I want people to have that feeling of a big fight around the corner… That’s the type of fight I want to put on and give to the people. So yeah, it’s a possibility.”

    With O’Malley’s penchant for thrilling matchups and Aldo’s legendary status, a fight between the two could be a marquee event for the UFC.

  • Julianna Peña Urges Fans To Rewatch UFC 307 Fight Without ‘Garbage’ Commentary

    Julianna Peña Urges Fans To Rewatch UFC 307 Fight Without ‘Garbage’ Commentary

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña believes commentary “bias” has played a part in the negative reaction to her title win earlier this month.

    Peña returned to the mountaintop at 135 pounds in the co-main event of the UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, outpointing longtime rival Raquel Pennington on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

    The result, which came over two years on from “The Venezuelan Vixen’s” first reign being brought to an end by Amanda Nunes, caused considerable debate.

    On MMA Decisions, 25 out of 27 media members scored the five-round contest in favor of Pennington. That sentiment was also shared by 78 percent of over 500 fan scorecards that were submitted.

    The newly crowned queen has been left bemused by the post-fight ‘robbery’ narratives, and she seemingly placed blame on the commentary team during an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned.

    Peña branded the commentary “garbage” while reiterating the reasons why she’s confident that four of the five rounds were won by her.

    “When you throw less and land more, when you’re giving the other girl a bloody nose and a goose egg on her head, when you’re taking her down, when you’re frickin’ making her eyes get as big as plates because you’re hitting her so hard and rocking her sh*t…you can’t tell me that I lost the fight,” Peña said. “I won that fight, and I’m so sick of all these people trying to like, make me feel like I didn’t win.

    “Rewatch the fight without all the commentary bias and you will see clearly that I won that fight,” Peña continued. “Obviously all of the frickin’ MMA media hates my guts. … Every single one of them scored it against me. They need to go rewatch it without all that frickin’ garbage commentary and look at the significant strikes. I threw less and I landed more and they were harder shots. Rewatch it, please!”

    Alongside the controversy regarding the scoring, the other major topic to emerge from Peña’s title win is the next step in the bantamweight division.

    While Kayla Harrison’s victory over Ketlen Vieira on the UFC 307 card has left her as the consensus number one contender, “The Venezuelan Vixen” seemingly has other plans, frequently looking to entice Amanda Nunes back to complete their trilogy instead.

  • UFC Hall Of Famer Says He’s Returning From Retirement For 2 Final Fights

    UFC Hall Of Famer Says He’s Returning From Retirement For 2 Final Fights

    Donald Cerrone recently announced that he’s stepping out of retirement with the goal of setting several unmatched records.

    “Cowboy” hung up his gloves after enduring a rough stretch of six consecutive losses in the Octagon, with the final blow being a second-round submission defeat to fellow veteran Jim Miller at UFC 276 in July 2022.

    However, it seems that Cerrone has made up his mind to return to the promotion, aiming to reach an impressive milestone of 50 total appearances under the Zuffa banner. The 41-year-old Colorado native currently boasts 38 fights in the Octagon, ranking him third in the organization’s history, excluding the 10 bouts he fought in the WEC.

    In a recent Instagram video, “Cowboy” revealed that he had been collaborating with a company and undergoing Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), along with other substances for the last few years.

    However, he is now preparing to cleanse his system of these compounds to re-enter the drug-testing pool and compete in two more fights.

    “I want to go back and get two more fights,” Cerrone said. “When I retired, I told you I was getting my hair done and getting on steroids. The number 50 has been sitting on my mind for a while. The last two years, I’ve been taking TRT and a bunch of peptides; now we’ve got a protocol. For all you people who are like, ‘Oh, what if you get on it, you can’t ever come off?’ Well, I now have to come off and piss clean. I’ll fight in a few months, so watch this.”

    Although Cerrone never became a UFC champion, he remains a fan favorite. Throughout his active career, “Cowboy” amassed an impressive 18 post-fight bonuses, the most in UFC history, a record he shares with Charles Oliveira.

    Additionally, he is tied for the second-most wins in UFC history with 23, alongside Andrei Arlovski, and boasts the second-most finishes, totaling 16, matched only by Miller.

    For his illustrious career, which includes victories over multiple former UFC lightweight champions such as Oliveira, Eddie Alvarez, and Benson Henderson, Cerrone was honored with an induction into the modern wing of the UFC Hall of Fame last year.

  • Concerning Health Update On Former UFC Champ Shane Carwin

    Concerning Health Update On Former UFC Champ Shane Carwin

    Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin became the topic of a lot of conversation online following the latest update in the UFC lawsuit.

    Le vs Zuffa received lots of declarations from former UFC fighters that are named in the case and Carwin’s was by far the most shocking as he detailed why he needs the settlement money urgently due to his health and financial concerns.

    Brendan Schaub, who came up alongside Carwin as his main training partner, gave an incredibly emotional reaction to this on a recent episode of his podcast. Schaub spoke from an intensely personal point of view about the struggles that he knows the former fighter has gone through.

    “Because of the way that we trained, because we were meat heads, we didn’t know, even the coaches. We’d spar twice a week, sometimes three times a week, like all out wars and because of that, Shane, you know, he can’t even… he can’t even keep a job dude. Yeah, he went from being an engineer to he can’t be a bouncer at a f****** bar.”

    Schaub did say that the UFC attempted to help Carwin in the past after his health concerns were revealed to the likes of Dana White. The 49-year old retired from MMA back in 2013 due to several substantial injuries that prevented him from ever returning despite several attempts.

    “There’s nothing we can do, we tried to get him help. The UFC did fly him down to the Apex and they tried to do stuff. To Dana’s credit, as soon as Dana found out he, that’s who I call. I went through my contacts, I tried to get Shane some help and as soon as Dana heard that Shane was having some issues, he flew Shane down there.”

    Schaub got emotional when he spoke about how this money could benefit Carwin and how this should have never happened to such a brilliant mind in the first place.

    “There’s not enough money in the world if you ask Shane Carwin if he could do it again. If you gave him a billion dollars, Shane’s really bad.”

    Carwin’s fellow former heavyweight reflected about how his old training partner used to pay for his sessions when he couldn’t afford them. He told other emotional stories about how they would spar so intensely with one another that they’d joke on the car ride home that they couldn’t remember how to get back.

    His close personal connection to the ex-fighter in question made this a very difficult conversation for Schaub to approach.

    “Shane’s one of many, it just so happens that Shane’s story is f****** heart breaking. He wasn’t a dumba**, he’s not a meat head like me. I know he looks like it and you guys want to assume Shane’s this big dumb animal, he’s f****** not dude. When Shane was young before all this, he could’ve sat on JRE and ran circles around any guest that Rogan has had in that room… it just so happened he’s in this 6’3′, 280 pound shredded body… and you guys want to assume he’s a meat head and right him off? I get all that but I’m telling you you’re wrong. Now he can’t afford food and his kids.”

  • UFC Roster Update: Latest Round Of Cuts Following Fight Night: Royval-Taira

    UFC Roster Update: Latest Round Of Cuts Following Fight Night: Royval-Taira

    The weigh-ins for this past weekend’s UFC Vegas 98 event at the Apex were fairly dramatic with three fighters failing to hit the mark. Despite their misses, both Jared Gordon and Dan Argueta still competed at the event that was headlined by Brandon Royval’s win over Tatsuro Taira.

    Unfortunately for him and his opponent, the same couldn’t be said for Josh Fremd who was scheduled to meet Abdul Razak Alhassan at middleweight. Fremd hit the scales at 189, making him three pounds over the required limit of 186.

    The fight was cancelled and according to the UFC Roster Tracker account on X, will be the final chapter in Fremd’s UFC career for the time being.

    The Roster Tracker account has been incredibly active over the past few days with what appears to be a long string of releases from the UFC which isn’t necessarily anything new for the promotion.

    Fremd’s name was added to the list after his weight miss this past weekend, ending his UFC career with a record of 2-4.

    The 30-year old had missed weight by three pounds once before during his UFC tenure, coming in at 189 for his meeting with Jamie Pickett in August of last year where the fight went ahead.

    Wales’ Cory McKenna who did compete at UFC Vegas 98 was also revealed to no longer be on the roster following her second consecutive defeat, ending her run inside the Octagon at 3-3.

  • Tom Aspinall On Why It’s ‘Hard’ To Put Ngannou In Best Heavyweight Debate: ‘The Guy He’s Fighting…’ 

    Tom Aspinall On Why It’s ‘Hard’ To Put Ngannou In Best Heavyweight Debate: ‘The Guy He’s Fighting…’ 

    Tom Aspinall thinks the quality of Francis Ngannou’s PFL opposition could eliminate him from the best heavyweight discussion.

    Aspinall, who captured interim UFC gold last year, is currently in pursuit of the undisputed throne formerly occupied by Ngannou. “The Predator” chose to exit the promotion at the start of 2023, and he’s since held lineal heavyweight MMA champ status.

    Following his departure and subsequent signing with the PFL, Ngannou’s sights drifted to the boxing ring, where he battled Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in back-to-back blockbuster bouts.

    Now, though, the Cameroonian is days away from entering the cage once again, and he still expects to do so as the world’s best heavyweight.

    Aspinall has something to say about that, stating during an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned that the competition Ngannou will face outside the UFC could disqualify him from such a category.

    Ngannou is set to headline this weekend’s PFL pay-per-view in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia opposite 2023 PFL heavyweight title winner Renan Ferreira. The Brazilian is coming off an emphatic first-round knockout of Bellator kingpin Ryan Bader.

    While “Problema” is getting plenty of respect from “The Predator,” who has even branded himself the underdog, Aspinall insists that Ferreira is far from an “elite” heavyweight.

    “I have a lot of respect for Francis. And I really appreciate his story. I really appreciate what he’s done in the sport,” Aspinall said. “But it’s hard to debate right now. The guy he’s fighting, he’s not elite. Do you know what I mean? And the guys he’ll be fighting in the future aren’t elite, and it’s as simple as that. These aren’t the best guys in the world.

    “The guy he’s fighting fought a friend of mine, a training partner of mine, Ante Delija, last year. Ante just destroyed him within a minute or two; took him down, ground-and-pounded him, and stopped him within the first minute,” Aspinall continued. “The guy isn’t elite, his opponent. Yeah he’s big, yeah he’s powerful, yeah he can knock you out, but he’s not an elite heavyweight. I’m not disrespecting him, that’s just my honest opinion. The elite guys are not in the PFL. … It’s difficult to say he (Ngannou) is the best heavyweight in the world when he isn’t fighting elite guys.”

    Regardless, Ngannou will have his sights on making a firm statement in his long-awaited return to MMA competition in order to prove that he’s not lost a step inside the cage since heading to the ring.

  • Max Holloway States Where Beating Ilia Topuria Would Rank Amongst His Biggest Achievements

    Max Holloway States Where Beating Ilia Topuria Would Rank Amongst His Biggest Achievements

    Max Holloway has already achieved some incredible things in his career by the age of 32. The former UFC featherweight champion and current BMF titleholder is certainly no stranger to being in the spotlight and that’s not going anywhere just yet.

    However, his next outing provides a new challenge as he looks to reclaim the 145-pound gold when returning to featherweight to face the new champion, Ilia Topuria. The undefeated “El Matador” has been unstoppable thus far inside the Octagon but that only makes Holloway more excited.

    He believes that a win at UFC 308 would rank pretty highly amongst his list of accomplishments, even if it doesn’t take the top spot.

    Max Holloway Says Beating Ilia Topuria Would Likely Rank Third On His Personal List

    In a recent interview with Stake, Holloway gave his thoughts on where being the first man to defeat Topuria, reclaiming the featherweight belt in the process, would fall in terms of his own viewpoint.

    He believes that two moments will probably still rank higher even with this being one of the biggest fights of the year. “Blessed” said that it will take something special to upset his two favourite moments from his career because of the impact and personal significance that surrounds them.

    “This victory would be in the top three of my career, for sure. Winning that first title will always be special. Beating Jose Aldo, the King of Rio and an idol of mine, nothing will ever beat that I don’t think. Secondly, the 300 moment has to be up there for me. All of the build-up and the lead up to it, there were so many things going on it felt bigger than the BMF title.

    “Unless I can do something crazy to top that UFC 300 moment, then it might be second. It will 100% be a top three moment in my career, not just because it is for the title but also because of who it is against. This new generation guy, with a variety of different skills, he’s so powerful and athletic – but beating him would make this a top three moment of my career for sure.”

  • Brandon Royval Names The Thing That Surprised Him About Tatsuro Taira The Most

    Brandon Royval Names The Thing That Surprised Him About Tatsuro Taira The Most

    Brandon Royval had no problem admitting that Tatsuro Taira had drastically surprised him in their main event at the Apex last weekend. “Raw Dawg” emerged victorious via a split decision where he needed to win the fifth round to secure the win.

    Having trained together several times in the past, Royval said in his post-fight interview that he expected to run straight through the rising Japanese contender.

    He didn’t believe that the 24-year old Taira would be close to his level so it would be a quick night at the office with a first or second round finish but the fight ended up being a great competitive clash.

    Though Royval had the clear advantage in the striking exchanges, it was the excellent grappling game of his opponent that cause him some issues.

    Royval is no stranger to facing top grapplers in the division and is usually able to cause them some issues with his own scrambling ability. He wasn’t able to do this consistently against Taira who is a master of taking the back and keeping it whilst he works to secure submissions from this dominant position.

    In an interview with former UFC champion Michael Bisping on his Believe You Me podcast, Royval spoke about how Taira’s back control and body triangle was another level to what he has experienced in the past, even compared to the likes of Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Moreno.

    “When he locked in that body triangle I immediately was like, oh that’s a different type of body triangle and I’ve never felt a body triangle where I was like oh that’s actually really, really tight… I really thought he’d be the least effective of the back riders and holy s*** that kid on my back was a whole different strength, a whole different feeling and really eye opening”

  • Sphere Entertainment Announces Second Venue in Abu Dhabi

    Sphere Entertainment Announces Second Venue in Abu Dhabi

    Following the successful launch of the first Sphere in Las Vegas, Sphere Entertainment is building a second venue in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Sphere will be similar in size to the Las Vegas venue, which has a capacity of 20,000 people.

    Unlike the wholly owned Las Vegas Sphere, the Abu Dhabi venue will be financed by Abu Dhabi and operate under a franchise model. The Abu Dhabi Sphere will utilize Sphere Entertainment’s designs, technology, and intellectual property (original immersive experiences).

    The Las Vegas Sphere has already proven successful, hosting a diverse range of events, including September’s UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche UFC O’Malley vs Dvalishvili event.

    Sphere Entertainment sees this as a step towards creating a global network of Sphere venues, and touts the facility as ‘redefining live entertainment.’

    Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism believes the Sphere will be a major attraction, playing a key role in establishing Abu Dhabi as a leading cultural and entertainment destination.

  • Paddy Pimblett Names The Two Fighters That Would Fast Track Him To The Title

    Paddy Pimblett Names The Two Fighters That Would Fast Track Him To The Title

    Following his undefeated winning streak inside the Octagon and big submission win over Bobby Green last time out, Paddy Pimblett finds himself in the mix at 155-pounds. The #14-ranked lightweight isn’t necessarily in a rush to get himself a title shot but it is something he’s thought about.

    “The Baddy” has already made it clear that Renato Moicano is his next target and the fight makes a lot of sense. Both men are great talkers, are ranked inside the top 15 and are on impressive winning streaks.

    In a recent YouTube video, Pimblett spoke about how he would need to leap up the division’s rankings in order to secure a title shot as fast as possible.

    2-Fight Plan That Would Land Him A Title Shot

    Following some sparring rounds, a big meal and signing some memorabilia, Pimblett answered some questions from the fans in a recent YouTube video on his channel.

    One fan asked what his quickest route to the title would be and “The Baddy” started at Moicano which is likely going to be his next fight. With “Money” ranked at #11, a win over the Brazilian would set Pimblett up for a huge fight next time out.

    He said that squaring off with someone like the former champion, Charles Oliveira, could put him into position for a title fight with just two more wins.

    “What’s the ideal run to a title fight? I’ve seen a lot of people saying I’m like two fights away from a title fight and that is nice but two fights from a title fight would have to be like Moicano, rank #10, and then do like an O’Malley. Fight like rank #2 straight away and that would be a Charles Oliveira. I’d do that. I’d fight Moicano, beat Moicano and then I’d fight Oliveira. That’s probably my quickest route to a title shot to be honest. I really like both of them. Really like watching them fight so it’d be a pleasure to, even more of a pleasure to get in there with Charles.”

  • Joaquin Buckley Open To Fighting Different Former Champ If Usman Rejects Callout

    Joaquin Buckley Open To Fighting Different Former Champ If Usman Rejects Callout

    Joaquin Buckley earned his biggest win to date at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City to extend his welterweight winning streak to five. “New Mansa” became just the second man to stop Stephen Thompson with strikes in the UFC after exploding forward in the third round.

    Buckley, who has been criticized for his post-fight call outs in the past, had one name in mind that seemed to go down well with the fans and media. He called to face former champion Kamaru Usman who has been inactive since his short notice bout with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 last year.

    The #9-ranked contender hasn’t received the response that he would’ve wanted but fortunately for him, he has names other than Usman on his hit list.

    In a recent interview with Luke Thomas, Buckley gave his thoughts on the rest of the welterweight top ten where some big fights could be coming soon.

    After speaking about the upcoming title fight in his division at UFC 310, the former middleweight weighed in with his take on a potential fight between the undefeated Ian Machado Garry and the former interim champion Colby Covington.

    This is a fight that Garry was pushing for heavily at one stage but despite several replies from Covington, never got any closer to happen and as a result, “Chaos” hasn’t fought since his disappointing performance at UFC 296.

    Buckley said that due to the name and ranking that Covington still holds at 170-pounds, this is a fight that would interest him if the Usman match-up doesn’t happen. Thomas initially asked “New Mansa” whether in his opinion, Covington is “washed” at 26-years old considering his lack of activity.

    “That’s a question for him to answer to but my thing is, the last fight that he had was against Leon Edwards and that was about a year ago now, so time ain’t on nobody’s side. If you really want to show the world what you up to and what you’ve been doing and how you been working, you got to take a fight. I’m happy to find out myself too with Colby Covington if he ain’t got nothing lined up.”

  • Conor McGregor Sends Proposal To Sean O’Malley As They Squash Beef

    Conor McGregor Sends Proposal To Sean O’Malley As They Squash Beef

    Conor McGregor and Sean O’Malley have got a fairly complicated relationship with one another that has taken drastic turns. The two men appeared to be on the same page for a long time before several harsh comments back-and-forth on social media drew a clear line in the sand.

    It now appears that things have been brushed aside and bridges have been rebuilt following recent comments that were made by “Suga” on the Join The Lobby Podcast. The former UFC bantamweight champion spoke about how “The Notorious” will always be an influential figure on his own career and that he wishes him the best in whatever he is doing.

    “He played an important role in my career. It’s always will be inspiration to me at some point… Right now I wouldn’t say he necessarily is… He has a big family now, a bunch of kids, and I hope he’s doing well.”

    McGregor Extends Training Offer To Sean O’Malley & Tim Welch

    In a since deleted post on X, McGregor responded to the clip that was posted of O’Malley squashing the beef that he previously had with the Irishman. The former UFC champ-champ also chose to forgive and forget via the statement that he put out.

    McGregor referred to O’Malley as a “fighting legend” and “an incredible superstar” but spent most of his social media post speaking about something else.

    “The Notorious” would very much like it if O’Malley and his coach would come over to Dublin to train with his head coach John Kavanagh at his home gym, SBG Dublin. He spoke about the potential gain that both “Suga” and Tim Welch could take from this experience before the try to reclaim the bantamweight throne following the events of UFC 306.

    “Sean is a fighting legend! UFC champion and an incredible superstar! I would love, love, love to see, and I can set it up fully, himself and his long time coach, Tim Welch, do a stint in Ireland. A 4 week run at SBG Ireland under Johns coaching and I am telling you he would regain his title. He has a shot at regaining it still for sure, but for himself, and also his coach to spend a good month, to begin with, not a long time, but a good solid month under coach Kav at SBG and they would take heaps of knowledge back with them and onward to regain the Gold. I would love to see it!”

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  • Top 10 Welterweight Says Belal Muhammad’s Mindset, Preparation Key To Beating Rakhmonov

    Top 10 Welterweight Says Belal Muhammad’s Mindset, Preparation Key To Beating Rakhmonov

    Belal Muhammad is set to return at UFC 310 where he will put his welterweight title on the line for the first time against Shavkat Rakhmonov. The undefeated contender comes into December 7 as the favorite despite the champion’s own impressive winning streak.

    Rakhmonov’s ability to finish opponents is simply remarkable, with all 18 of his pro wins coming inside the distance. This, in a lot of people’s eyes, makes it an uphill battle for Muhammad who is not known for closing the show early.

    Where the champion excels in his approach and relentless drive to break opponents with his constant pressure and gas tank. His preparation and strategy is where a top welterweight contender believes this fight becomes competitive.

    Joaquin Buckley Says That Belal Muhammad’s Approach Is What Makes Him Competitive With Shavkat Rakhmonov

    In a recent interview with Luke Thomas, Joaquin Buckley gave his thoughts on the upcoming title fight in his division. The #9-ranked welterweight contender is coming off of a devastating finish over Stephen Thompson and could find himself in title talks with one more big win.

    Buckley said in his opinion, this fight is interesting because you know that Muhammad is going to come into Las Vegas with extensive homework and adjustments. “New Mansa” believes that this is at odds with the confidence of Rakhmonov who is not going to have the same approach of analyzing every detail.

    Muhammad’s ability to adapt to different opponents and choose the best path to victory is where Buckley feels that the champion has an advantage.

    “I think it’s a good fight and it’s only going to be a good fight because the way that Belal comes. Every time when he sets himself to fight an opponent, he prepares himself in the right way. Shavkat, I believe that he’s just the type of fighter that he believes just his talents and his gifts is going to take him as far as it’s been taking him now where he’s been finishing everybody.

    I don’t believe that Shavkat, in my personal opinion, is doing any film study on Belal or how he gonna beat him. Shavkat believes just in his head that him stepping in the cage with Belal is going to be good enough but I don’t think it’s going to be the other way around with Belal.

    I believe Belal is going to try to see what is going to be his best opportunities to take the fight where he needs to in order to get the decision.”

  • Michael Chandler Confident UFC Won’t Favor Hooker For McGregor’s Return Fight 

    Michael Chandler Confident UFC Won’t Favor Hooker For McGregor’s Return Fight 

    UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler remains confident of being the promotion’s first choice when it comes to Conor McGregor’s comeback fight in 2025.

    Chandler was announced as the former two-division champion’s return opponent and opposition coach on The Ultimate Fighter toward the start of 2023. But while they completed the reality series, their matchup is still yet to reach the cage.

    And the chances of it doing so took a hit following the cancellation of their UFC 303 main event this past June and Chandler’s subsequent decision to accept a co-headline slot against Charles Oliveira at next month’s UFC 309 pay-per-view.

    Despite that, both Dana White and “Iron” have suggested the McGregor clash remains on the table. And the former Bellator champion insist he remains first choice, even in spite of the Irishman naming Dan Hooker as his opponent instead.

    During an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Chandler was asked for his reaction to McGregor’s latest remarks regarding his return to MMA competition in 2025.

    The #6-ranked contender, who started his UFC journey with a victory over Hooker, dismissed McGregor’s comments while at BKFC Spain this past weekend as being serious.

    And in any case, Chandler doesn’t foresee the promotion being on board with “The Hangman” welcoming the Dubliner back to action over him.

    “Conor’s a very ‘flavor of the week’ kind of guy. He just had a conversation with Dan Hooker. Everybody knows Dan Hooker’s an awesome dude. You can sit there and have a beer with him, a Forged Irish Stout, in the middle of a squared ring and be like, ‘Hey, man. I like you, you like me, we can make some magic, let’s fight each other!’ I looked no further than that, honestly.

    “I don’t think the UFC’s going to be very keen on McGregor vs. Hooker compared to McGregor vs. Chandler, since we need to make this fight happen,” Chandler continued. “I’m not really worried about it. It’s been up in the air for the better part of two years. So I’m not going to spend any time or energy or effort worrying about it.”

    Before potentially putting his sights back on McGregor, Chandler will need to have his full energy on the opportunity to avenge the defeat he fell to in his sole UFC title fight to date back in 2022.

    And should he accomplish that feat against Oliveira inside Madison Square Garden on Nov. 17, perhaps a second shot at reaching the lightweight mountaintop will await him next year.

  • Khalil Rountree Reacts To Jamahal Hill’s Yawn After Alex Pereira Fight

    Khalil Rountree Reacts To Jamahal Hill’s Yawn After Alex Pereira Fight

    When Khalil Rountree stepped into the main event slot at UFC 307 to face Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title, he wanted to put on a show. Of course, leaving Salt Lake City with the belt was always the number one priority but Rountree always aims to entertain.

    He was unsuccessful in dethroning “Poatan” but that didn’t stop the fight from being an entertaining watch after the challenger was able to make it competitive in the opening rounds.

    This opinion seemingly wasn’t shared by former champion Jamahal Hill who later clarified his yawning response at the end of the main event.

    Hill stated on his YouTube channel that him yawning after the UFC 307 headliner wasn’t due to the fight not being an engaging watch for the four rounds that it lasted. “Sweet Dreams” claims that his reaction was more based on him not seeing anything surprising or impressive from either competitor, hence why he was bored.

    Rountree gave his take on this in a recent interview with MMA Junkie where he stated that he’s glad that Hill gave more context to this clip. The former title challenger was originally set to face Hill at UFC 303 earlier this year but when the fight didn’t materialize, Rountree went straight to the champion instead.

    He said that after seeing the video of Hill on social media after the fight, he was slightly puzzled by his reaction but isn’t too concerned by his explanation either.

    “It’s nice to hear the clarification because based off the crowd response and everything that I’ve seen, other articles and posts that I’ve seen, majority of people seemed to think it was an entertaining fight. So I was a bit confused to see why maybe he thought it was boring or worth a yawn but like I said, the clarification definitely helps and yeah, not everyone’s going to think the same. Not everyone’s going to be entertained. It’s good, if there’s nothing to be scared of, like cool.”  

  • Charles Oliveira Hopes UFC Gives Tony Ferguson Opponent He Can ‘Put On A Show’ Against

    Charles Oliveira Hopes UFC Gives Tony Ferguson Opponent He Can ‘Put On A Show’ Against

    Charles Oliveira has shared his thoughts on how the UFC should approach Tony Ferguson’s potential return to the Octagon. Ferguson, currently on an eight-fight losing streak, was defeated by Oliveira in 2020.

    During an interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira expressed how difficult it was to see Ferguson suffer another loss, this time to Michael Chiesa via first-round submission in August. Following the fight, Ferguson hinted at retirement but later changed his stance, stating he still wanted to compete.

    Oliveira’s Perspective

    “He deserves all the respect in the world just for continuing to fight. He deserves a standing ovation for everything he’s accomplished in the UFC,” Oliveira said. “But I think the UFC should give him some help by matching him up with someone [closer to his age] so they can put on a great show, and we can all applaud them.”

    Oliveira continued, “The guy doesn’t want to retire, he’s still here. So why not match him with someone who shares the same vibe and experience? That would be amazing. But putting him up against these young, hungry fighters seeking to make a name off him—it’s complicated. It sucks. He’s older now, and pitting him against kids? That’s tough for him.”

    During Ferguson’s current skid, he has been finished by Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler, Nate Diaz, and Bobby Green. He has also dropped decisions to Beneil Dariush and Paddy Pimblett. His last victory came over Donald Cerrone in June 2019.

  • Conor McGregor Hints At Major BKFC Event For Riyadh Season

    Conor McGregor Hints At Major BKFC Event For Riyadh Season

    Conor McGregor recently revealed that he is working closely with Turki Alalshikh to organize a massive bare-knuckle fighting event associated with Riyadh Season.

    “The Notorious” took on a part-ownership role in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) this past April, and since then, the gloveless combat sports promotion has soared to new heights. With McGregor frequently making larger-than-life appearances at events, the organization has captured the attention of fans worldwide.

    McGregor is diving headfirst into his new role as a promoter, making a splash last weekend in Marbella, Spain, where BKFC held a tripleheader championship event. The fight card was a success, but it seems the Irishman has something even bigger brewing for the near future.

    McGregor Teases ‘GOATs Of The Game’ Joining BKFC

    During a recent interview with The Schmo, McGregor opened up about the future of BKFC, revealing that he’s collaborating with Alalshikh to shine a spotlight on the promotion.

    “The Notorious” hinted at plans for a monumental bare-knuckle fighting event, with several famed combat sports fighters set to make their BKFC debut on the Riyadh Season card.

    “Stay tuned for what’s next, baby; we’re coming with some big Riyadh Season,” McGregor said. “Myself and Sheikh Turki have some mega announcements coming, and boy, oh boy, we have stacked the card of superstars for you all in Riyadh Season, and it’s going to happen really, really soon, my man.”

    Although McGregor held back from dropping any names, he promised that the matchups he’s crafting will lead to an epic showdown.

    “GOATs of the game are making that bare-knuckle debut, so this is going to blow the socks off people… Some of these matches I have made are going to blow your f**king mind.”

    Chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, Alalshikh, has emerged as a significant catalyst for orchestrating some of the most notable boxing matches in recent years. Now, he has made his foray into the realm of MMA, having played a crucial role in the UFC’s inaugural event in Saudi Arabia and also sponsoring UFC 306, with Riyadh Season taking on that role.

  • Justin Gaethje Gives Targeted UFC Return Date

    Justin Gaethje is edging closer to his return to the Octagon with a potential timeframe in sight. According to his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, the former interim lightweight champion is open to matchups with contenders such as Renato Moicano and Dan Hooker.

    Gaethje, currently ranked third in the official lightweight rankings, has been on the sidelines since his knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300, where he lost the symbolic BMF (Baddest Motherf***) championship.

    Before that defeat, Gaethje had secured two significant victories. He won a unanimous decision over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 in March 2023, earning him Fight of the Night honors. In July of that year, Gaethje claimed the BMF title after a second-round knockout of Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, a performance that also earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. Abdelaziz confirmed that Gaethje is eyeing a return to action as early as March of next year.

    “Justin Gaethje’s going to fight in March,” Abdelaziz told MMA Fighting. “Against who? I have no idea. It could be Dan Hooker, Dustin Poirier, or Renato Moicano. Whatever it is, I don’t know yet, but I would like to see Justin fight in March. He needs a little bit of time to recover after his last fight. He deserves that.”